Minnesota Governor Proposes $11 Billion in Transportation Funding

Governor Mark Dayton (D) Jan. 26 announced a plan to generate nearly $11 billion in transportation funding for the state by instituting a 6.5 percent tax on the wholesale price of gasoline. The proposal would also raise vehicle registration fees by $10, transfer funds from the state’s General Fund, and institute a half-cent sales tax in the seven-county Metro region.

The governor’s 10-year plan would make significant investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure, including:

$2.35 billion funding for roads and bridges in counties, cities and townships;

$2.8 billion in transit funding for the Twin Cities Metro Area, with an additional $120 million for Greater Minnesota Transit; and

$75 million for bike and pedestrian infrastructure and “Safe Routes to Schools” development.

Dayton estimates the plan would generate an estimated 119,000 new jobs, repair or replace 2,200 miles of roads and 330 bridges, create 20 new transit ways, and increase metro area bus service by 27 percent and transit ridership by 80 percent.